Monday, March 27, 2017

Trials and Triumphs

Well hey there people!!

It seems like it was a rough week! We didn't really have anything that happened that was too extravagant! But, we have been working very well here I'm very proud of the things that have happened. So the crazy things that happened with Manuel stopped this week and I'm kinda sad and discouraged about it. We have been trying to find him for the past 2 weeks but he's been in Cerro de Pasco and we didn't understand why he was there so much. Saturday night we passed by his house and his daughter told us that he had moved to Cerro and is only going to come back every once in a while on the weekends. So once again he has disappeared.

The second thing that was a disappointment is that Yuli (Juli) didn´t get baptized on Saturday like we had set up because she hasn't been going to church, and I don't want to just baptize her if she is not ever going to come back to church. We want her to be strong and happy and active in the ward, also we want her baptism to be a spiritual experience. So she needs to makes the decision to be committed. She said that she wanted to get baptized and that she would be committed, so we were planning on having the baptism this next Saturday after the afternoon session of the General Conference. But, now that is not going to happen either because she didn´t come to church yesterday!! Gotta be committed! So we are pretty sad that Satan could work so hard just to make her not go to church. She would be a great member. Satan's scared that she might progress in the gospel! Her Sacrament Meeting is at 8:00 in the morning, and we all know that no Peruvian gets up earlier than 10:00 a.m.!! haha

So this week we decided to turn everything up a notch and fast 2 times for different reasons. Seems weird, but I finally really started to appreciate food. I can´t believe how much I just didnt´t care about the food that I ate. But after 2 days fasting I do appreciate it. Oh and, we have not gone without food and water the other days this week, because of the flooding and impassable roads between here and Lima. The road between Huancayo and Lima is still not passable, but there is another road into Huanuco from the other side and it seems to be passable.

Also, on Wednesday I went on splits with an Elder from Arequipa (Elder Quispe) and we had an amazing time!! He came to my area and he loved my area so much. He really gave me so much motivation to work even harder here. We were walking down the street contacting literally everything and everyone we saw. It's too bad we didn't count the crazy experiences that we had talking to people, because there were many. But that day we basically had one amazing experience after another. We had several people tell us that they were looking for a church to visit!! Well, we took advantage of that and gave them our message! We also talked to a less active that hates Mormons but loves the church, yeah.... go figure???

Then when Elder Crosland got back we went over to visit a less active, Carlos. We visited with him and his wife and we decided to talk about the restoration. It was so amazing! The spirit was so strong and testified so strong of Joseph Smith and all that he did for us. Then Elder Crosland talked about how Joseph had to struggle, and search and pray and search again just to receive an answer to his first prayer. I love Joseph Smith and all that he did to restore this gospel, I'm so grateful for him and his first prayer. Then Erika just said, "Wow, you both really are sent from God. We were talking just last night about how we are struggling so much to stay in the church, because it is just so hard. But after having you here in our home and talking, now we see everything from a different point of view." Then I told them my story and all the trials that I've been through here on my mission, and that's it's just made me stronger and able to get where I am today. They were so grateful and they said "thank you both, we never thought that we would feel the way we do right now, we feel so good". We left from the appointment very edified. The spirit is amazing and can work miracles. I guess this week was a better week than I thought. The weeks are flying by... and there are always good things that happen, sometimes you just have to look for them! Count your blessings always and remember that God lives, and he loves us! Just trust in him.

Te veo luego,

Elder Christensen

My mission scripture which is so applicable to this week .... "My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes." D&C 121:7-8